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Jazz

Will Champion from Coldplay visits the Music Department!

Two of our first year Music students, Martina Stramaccioni and James Needs, reflect on a recent visit to the Department by Coldplay drummer Will Champion. Martina: "I found Will Champion’s visit a humbling experience. It was unbelievable that a musician as successful and well respected as him had taken time out of his busy schedule and come talk to us young musicians in person. As students, embarking upon our own musical journeys, the talk was inspiring. Continue reading →

New Turner Sims RUSH tickets

Turner Sims intern and third year student Sabine Russell introduces the new RUSH ticket scheme: Many music students will have noticed that a new Student Newsletter from Turner Sims landed in their inboxes a couple of weeks ago about a new RUSH ticket scheme. The idea for this initiative has come about to raise awareness of the free tickets made available by Turner Sims for their concert series. Continue reading →

Southampton Showcase

Final year BA Music and Management Science student and Showcase Intern Vicky Halloran updates us on developing Showcase and plans for the future: As someone with a head for business and a love of music, I was enthused by the opportunity of an internship which provides real-world business engagement in the music field. Continue reading →

Jack Wylie (Portico Quartet) ‘VIP Guest Talk’

On Friday 13th October, Jack Wylie from the group Portico Quartet visited the Southampton Music Department to deliver a ‘VIP Guest Talk' about his career and approach to making music. 3rd-Year Music student Archie Combes tells us more: After performing a short solo set of soprano sax and electronic loop pedals, Jack talked extensively about how he forged a career in music whilst still being able to stay true to his own artist intentions. Continue reading →

Share The Sound

Share The Sound Festival has returned! If you’ve been involved or attended the event before we’re sure you can’t wait to see what 2017 holds. Whether you’ve been before or not, know that a sensational two days of jazz, pop, funk, rock and more are coming your way. If you’re not sure what we’re about, here is our Facebook page. Created for up and coming, unsigned artists, Share The Sound Festival is an annual live music event held at The Talking Heads in Southampton. Continue reading →

The Loop Project – coming soon!

We are all looking forward to 3-5 February, when the Music Department will present a whole weekend of performances and workshops exploring musical loops. Leading jazz musicians Ivo Neame, Jasper Høiby and Jon Scott will join the HARTLEY Loop Orchestra to perform a major revision of Benjamin Oliver’s Loop Concerto, which was premiered by Neame and Kent County Youth Orchestra in 2013. Continue reading →

Tom Harrison Quintet

Music undergraduate George Barbett tells us about last week's visit from the Tom Harrison Quintet. The Tom Harrison Quintet performed a captivating concert on Monday 21 November, interpreting the music of Duke Ellington in new and interesting ways. Their use of soundscaping, acoustic and electronic effects, and very free forms was fascinating. Continue reading →

Superstar Summer

Jon Gingell teaches guitar at Southampton University as well as working in theatre as performer, programmer and copyist.  He is a Southampton Music graduate. Over the summer break, I have been dividing my time between theatre work in Paris, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre and the National Theatre, and live gigs on the european blues festival circuit with American singer-songwriter Earl Thomas. In Paris I played guitar, ukulele and banjo for Damon Albarn’s musical Wonder. Continue reading →

Evan Parker @ Southampton

On Tuesday 19th April, Evan Parker, the legendary saxophonist and forefather of British Free Jazz, met with Southampton University Music Department students prior to his enthralling recital in Turner Sims. He shared insights on his commitment to raising ecological awareness through touring Europe by train, free improvisation, and finding your musical identity. Dr Thomas Seltz, Head of Jazz and Pop. Continue reading →

Sounds of the North

The Music department and Turner Sims are celebrating Norwegian musical culture with an array of fantastic events featuring visiting performers across the genres.  Lecturer in Composition Ben Oliver reports on one of the first of the series: On Saturday I had the great pleasure to attend a concert at Turner Sims featuring the Daniel Herskedal Trio with The University Strings. Continue reading →

Bastien Terraz Concert

Bastien Terraz is a freelance double bass and electric bass player and teacher based in Southampton. He is a Southampton University music graduate (BA 2001, MA 2002) and has taught Jazz & Pop bass in the department since 2001. I’ll be playing the Monday lunchtime concert on March 14th this year. Now, I’ve done this about 5 or 6 times before, and whilst I’ve led or co-led the band almost every time in the past, this time it’s going to be a little different. Continue reading →

Share the Sound (2016)

Following last year’s huge success, we are all very excited to announce the return of Share The Sound Festival (2016). If you were involved with, or attended the event in March 2015, you will of course be itching to know who will be playing at our next musical extravaganza. If however you haven’t heard about us yet – here’s all you need to know. Continue reading →

Liane Carroll and Julian Joseph workshops

 Thomas Seltz, Head of Jazz and Pop, reports on fantastic visits from great performers: The jazz pianist and singer Liane Carroll took to the stage with jazz and pop performance students on Friday 20 November 2015 for a workshop prior to her amazing performance in Turner Sims with Harvey Brough and the University of Southampton Voices in Songs in the Theme of Love. She covered areas of musicianship and performance relating to original compositions and jazz standards. Continue reading →

New Songs for Old Souls

We are really enjoying Southampton Music alum Joe Stilgoe's newest disc, New Songs for Old Souls.  And so are lots of other people:  check out the five-star review in the Observer, this enthusiastic article from ArtsDesk, and this great account in London Jazz News of the album launch at the Old Vic, where Joe is currently playing in the theatre's acclaimed production of High Society until 22 August. Continue reading →

Performance roundup

A few more items from the last month in performance: We were really chuffed to read this wonderful blog post from London Sinfonietta violinist extraordinaire David Alberman, who joined Southampton staff and students for the world premiere of Michael Finnissy's new work, Remembrance Day. This year jazz and pop students from the department of Music and MuSoc - the student music society - are putting on a series of nights at our partner live music venue, Talking Heads. Continue reading →